Taiwan to send mad cow disease inspection team to US

Taiwan will send a mad cow disease inspection team to the U.S., following Korea`s lead.

Taiwanese Health Minister Chiu Wen-ta said Sunday, "A delegation from the health and agricultural ministries is hoping to make trip to the U.S. as soon as possible to visit slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants for on-site inspections and to ensure the safety of U.S. beef imports."

Wang Che-chao, spokesman of Taiwan`s Health Ministry, said Chui could consider revision of food sanitation laws based on the inspection results, adding which cattle ranches and feeding plants will be included has not been determined.

Taiwan banned American beef imports in December 2003 following the first case of mad cow disease in the U.S., but resumed imports of American boneless beef in 2006. In October 2009, Taipei said it would reopen its markets to U.S. bone-in beef, intestines and minced beef, but faced public resistance.

The island country imports just boneless beef from the U.S. from cows younger than 30 months.

baek@donga.com